I had intended to write about something else tonight, but for some unknown reason my  phone is not sending my photos to the computer.  Hopefully, it’s just a temporary glitch.  I will go to my photo files and write about something else.

For years, I designed the block of the month for the Guild.  I made sample blocks to see if my instructions were understandable. Sampler quilts are fun to make.  I still have several blocks waiting to go into a finished quilt.  I also made blocks of the month from different quilt designers on the Internet.

This is a Puzzle quilt.  There are twenty blocks, but only ten patterns.  To solve the puzzle, you have to match  the blocks that have the same pattern.  It is harder to match them up than you think it is.  I finally wrote the answer on the back of the quilt so that I would remember.

 

 

Using the white sashing with green triangles on the corner give this quilt a secondary pattern. Green stars pop up when looking at it closely.

 

 

 

 

 

This quilt was designed for the quilter to find their own quilt patterns.  Hints were: find a pattern that begins with the first letter of your first name.  Find a pattern that has to do with weather.  Find a pattern that has an animal in it’s name. There were many other hints.  Every quilt was different.  The quilter could choose the size of the blocks and the setting.

 

 

I don’t know why this quilt has only eight blocks. It looks as if I added fancy corner triangles to the two red center blocks to make them the same size as the outside blocks with the multiple sashing.

 

 

 

 

It’s amazing how four sampler quilts can look so different with a change in sashing or setting.

 

Have a great day and happy quilting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Annie Louise is my mother’s doll.  I always thought that she was a china doll, but when researching dolls and doll clothes from the early 1900s, I decided that she didn’t look like a china doll.  She was a bisque doll. Her face is not shiny.  I couldn’t find any dolls that looked just like her. She has a jointed leather body.

Annie Louise is dirty and needs a new wig, along with new clothes.  I’ve decided to clean her up and restore her.  Pinterest has a site where it shows how to measure a doll and using a regular person’s pattern, cut it down for doll clothes.  I have measured all of Annie Louise’s measurements.  She is 19 1/2″ tall.  Her bust line is the same as her waist.  As I turned her over to measure her back, I noticed some letters on her neck.  Now I know what she is.

The letters are AM95 4DEP  The Internet is wonderful.  This is what I found.

Annie Louise is an Armand Marseille doll.  Located in Koppeisdorf, in the Thuringia region of Germany, the Armand Marseille doll company was the heart of the German doll making revolution in the 1890’s manufacturing 1,000 doll heads a day from 1900 to 1930.  Armand Marseille was born in St Petersburg Russia and was a butcher before becoming a successful doll manufacturer.

By 1910, 800 workers were in the factory and home trade.

Almost all of Armand Marseille’s doll heads were made of bisque.  He did not make his own doll bodies, but purchased them from other manufacturers.  AM dolls were promotional dolls.  The AM factory made doll heads in all price ranges, according to the buyer’s price range.

Montgomery Ward ordered cheaper dolls. I know that my Grandmother ordered from catalogues as she had an Aladdin home.  It was purchased through the Sears catalog.

The dolls marked AM95 4DEP are not valuable according to the Internet.  Most for sale are in Annie Louise’s condition.  She is valuable to me because she belonged to my mother and is very pretty. I love her big blue eyes and the dimple in her chin.

My Great Grandfather was a photographer so I have photos of my ancestors in their beautiful dresses.  Now that I know Annie Louise’s measurements and have instructions on how to cut from those measurements, I plan to recreate those dresses for Annie Louise.  I’ll start with her undergarments.  I haven’t made doll clothes for a long time.  I should remember how after a few tries.

I’ve been saving fabric, laces and other items that I thought might be useful.

Soon, she will have a new wig.  I think brown would be a good color for her. Maybe, I will consider blond hair because of her blue eyes.  My mother told me that she had a long, real hair wig.  My grandmother was very angry when my mother gave Annie Louise a short haircut.

With some bisque cleaner, her face would look much better. I’ve found a wonderful doll supply company.  Now that I know what kind of a doll she is, I might be able to find more information on their site.

I already have a quilt for Annie Louise and enough fabric left over to make a matching dress or robe. This project will be a lot of fun.

I’ll post updates on her progress from time to time.

Have a great day and happy quilting.

 

 

 

Yippee !!!  Two more UFOs finished.  These two small wall hangings were made years ago.  After they were made, they were put aside.  Every time they came to the top of the pile, I put them down to the bottom again.

Now that I want to finish all my UFOs, I was determined to finish them and put them into the giveaway bin.

One of the reasons that I didn’t finish this one was that I ran out of fabric for the side and top outer sashing. It’s a good size for a baby quilt.  The baby won’t notice.  Better finished than perfect.   Angela Walters has some very good YouTube videos.  I’ve started to watch them and am going to practice whatever she teaches on my UFOs.  On this piece, I practiced echo quilting with a ruler.  It does make a straight line.  The black squares are stipple quilted.  The light green sashing has curved quilting.  Angela showed how to both free motion quilt and ruler quilt curves.  I free motion quilted the curves.  I did find that the more I practiced, the better it looked.  The red border is quilted with a leaf background filer.  This piece will go into the giveaway bin.

The second wall hanging was quilted with an even feed foot.  It was just straight line quilted.  I could have free motion or ruler quilted, but decided to just quilt it and have it done.  After I finished it, I decided that it would look very nice as a topper on a white table cloth on my dining room table.  I will keep this one.

 

I was looking for a certain color blue for a project and found another bunch of orphan blocks.   They were in with some mile a minute blue fabric.  I must have wanted to cut them up at one time, but they look pretty good.  I’ll make another orphan block quilt with them.  There might be enough of them for a Linus quilt.

Have a great day and happy quilting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I quite often say that I am a quiltmaker, not a quilter.  If a person makes tents, he is called a tentmaker, not a tenter. One of my friends gave me this pin today.  I will wear it proudly and state that I am a quiltmaker.

 

 

I’ve gathered together all of the orphan blocks that I could find.  I’m sure that there are more around somewhere.  One of my goals this year is to put these blocks into quilts and not have them just laying around.  If I do that this year and finish some of the UFOs that are already pieced, my quilts in progress will diminish.

A very long time ago I won the blocks of the month at a Guild that I used to belong to.  As I remember, it was a stormy, snowy night and not many members showed up.  There were only six blocks including mine.  The theme was sunflowers.  The blocks have been in a baggie ever since. When I decided to put them together this week, I found the date 1994 on one of the blocks.  These are really old blocks.

It is hard to put six blocks into a quilt.  The blocks were slightly different sizes.  One was dark.  They did have the same sunflower theme.

I decided on a nine patch format.  Some of the blocks would be in a straight set and some in a diagonal set.  Frames were added to each block and then the blocks were all trimmed to the same size.

The diagonal blocks had triangles added to each corner.  The straight set had sashing added.  The fabric colors were chosen so that when the piece is quilted, the frames would blend in.

The center block had the dark background,  It is a 3-D block.  The sunflower petals are elongated prairie points.  The leaves are two sided and attached by the vein stitching,  It has two sashing borders.  One is a light yellow and the outside border matches the fabric on the blocks that butt up to it. It is a straight set.

 

One of the side blocks has pieced small squares for the center with prairie points around it.  The stem and leaves are appliqued. It is on point and has triangles at the four corners.

 

 

The other side block is appliqued. It is on point and has triangles at the four corners.

 

 

The top block is a star.  The pale yellow fabric between the star sides  is gathered at the base. It is on point and has triangles at the four corners.

 

 

The bottom block is a Dresden plate. It is on point and has triangles at the four corners.

 

 

That left one block and four corners to fill. That was the block that I had made.  I cut the Dresden Plate block into four pieces and framed it.  Then I added strips to make a log cabin that was the same size as the other blocks.

 

After the nine pieces were sewn together, I added a single gold frame.  This wall hanging is different, but after all these years the blocks are finally ready to be quilted.

 

 

 

 

When you make a block, you can add to it or you could cut it up.  It is your block and you can do what you want with it.

Have a great day and happy quilting.

 

 

Have a great dayt

 

Happy New Year.  It doesn’t seem possible that this is the last post of 2018.  There will be lots of new quilts in 2019.  I have listed all the quilts that I’m currently working on and will finish them in order.  Of course, I will make new quilts.  I have lots of ideas in my head.

The Temperature Quilt top is finished.  It has been fun watching the weather all year.  It is one quilt that when someone asks me how long did it take to finish, I can honestly say one year (365 days).  That’s not the quilting, just the piecing.  I’m not sure if I will quilt it myself or send it to a long arm quilter.  It turned out to be a big quilt.

 

In 2018, the temperature did not go below 0 or above 100.  I didn’t use any of the fabric in those baggies.  It is also interesting how the colors on the left side move to the colors on the right side.  It makes for an even quilt.

 

 

There is enough batique fabric left to make another quilt.  I bought a pattern at Keepsake years ago.  It is perfect for the leftover fabric.

Have a great day and happy quilting.

 

 

 

It’s almost the end of 2018 and I did not reach my goal of finishing one UFO each week.  It doesn’t really matter as I have finished some and the basket is isn’t as full as it was at the beginning of the year.

I did start and complete several quilts.  Some are still at the long arm quilter.  Some, I quilted myself on my domestic machine.

I have lots of plans for 2019 but there will not be as many long term quilts as this year.  I still have seven Moda blocks to make.  There will be a few more next year. After I finish the Moda blocks, the Dear Jane quilt will be the only long term quilt project to work on.  There are a few bonus blocks to make for the Splendid Sampler project.   Then, that project will be finished. The Temperature Quilt top will be finished this week.   I have found two patterns that can be made out of the Japanese fabric.

When I have a few minutes and just want to sew, I work on a Mile a Minute block. There is no thinking in making a Mile a Minute block. I keep a bin of cut off fabric near the sewing machine to use when the mood strikes.  Soon, I will have enough to make a “free” quilt top.  I also have a basket of squares that work up into nine patches for Linus quilts.

This week, I finished three UFOs.  The first one was made years ago.  It is hand quilted.  This month, I started keeping hand quilting and applique near my chair. It’s handy to pick up and work on it while watching TV.  This is a fun pattern.  Squares are cut and sewn together.  Then, using a plastic template with cross marks, the squares are recut and sewn.  It is made with all straight seams, although it doesn’t looks that way.  There are small pieces left after the second cut.  If the pieces are kept in the same sequence, a smaller version of the quilt can be made.

The blue and green table runner is machine quilted.  I practiced quilting it with circle rulers of different sizes.  It has been in the basket for a while because I didn’t like the quilting.  Today, I stipple quilted the blue pineapples and finished it.  It is much better now.

 

The star piece is small.  It is hand quilted.  I like the colors. Somehow, setting the blocks on point make the quilt look better than a straight setting.  I can see a large quilt made with the small stars.  Maybe, some day I will make a lot of stars and make a bed quilt.  It would be a stash buster.  Some of the Mile a Minute fabric is large enough to make small stars.  I may start putting the larger pieces aside for that project.

I have finished three small tops and they are waiting to be packaged and quilted.  They shouldn’t take too long.  It would be nice to finish three more this year.

Have a great day and happy quilting.

In 2009, I made wall hangings for each of my daughters, my daughters in law and one granddaughter.  They all came for Christmas that year except for one daughter who lived in Virginia at that time.

The daughter in Virginia was sent a wall hanging, but her original wall hanging had a mishap.  I was quilting the last block when I noticed that the block was pieced sideways.  I put the wall hanging aside and made another one for her.

Several years later, another daughter mentioned that her favorite silly Christmas song was “I want a hippopotamus for Christmas”.  I just happened to have a hippopotamus pattern. I retrieved the  put away quilt from the attic and used it to make the hippopotamus.  My daughter got what she wanted for Christmas that year.

Have a great day and happy quilting.

Merry Christmas

It’s almost Christmas.  My Christmas wall hangings are on the walls.

One of my favorite wall hangings is one that was three boring green and white trees.  After it was pieced, The designer told me that the pieces were twisted in the instructions.  It was not a pretty wall hanging.  I was not going to take the pieces apart and redo the piece. There had to be a way to fix it.

I decided to decorate the trees.  Using the built in embroideries, I added garland with gold thread.  Then I added “balls” with a close zig zag stitch.  Still not satisfied, I added “tinsel” with silver thread.  Now, it was getting better.

At the time, I was making folded fabric ornaments.  I gave instructions for one of them in the last blog.  I added several ornaments and it was finally done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

No matter how bad a piece is, it can be changed to something that is much better.

Have a great day and happy quilting.

 

 

 

 

Folded fabric ornaments can be constructed by hand sewing, machine sewing, glue stick or wonder under.  When machine sewing, sewing can be done by chain piecing so several ornaments can be made at the same time.

Variable Star ornament

Cutting – any colors can be substituted for the listed colors

3 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ square 1 muslin for foundation                                                                                 3 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ square 1 red for center                                                                                                2 3/4″ x 2 3/4″  squares 4 white for row 1                                                                                           2″ x 3 1/2″ strips 4 for row 2                                                                                                                 2″ x 2″ squares 4 for row 3                                                                                                                   3″ x 3″ squares 4 for row 4                                                                                                                    3 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ square for backing                                                                                                        20″ of 1 3/4″ wide fabric for binding.

Secure 3 1/2″ red square to foundation.                                                                                             Fold 2 3/4″ white squares for row one in half diagonal.  Press.  Position one in each corner of red fabric, having fold toward  center and raw edges along outside edges.

 

Fold green strips in half lengthwise.  Press.  Position one on each side, having fold toward center and raw edges along outside.  Secure.  

 

 

 

Fold 2″ white squares for row 3 in quarters.  Press.  Position one in each corner, having folded edges on inside and raw edges on outside.Secure.

 

 

 

Fold 3″ white squares for row 4 in quarters.  Press.    Align point of square with center diamond.  Secure.  Trim away excess.

 

Add backing.  Sew binding to front with a 1/8″ seam and hand tack on back. A loop can be added for hanging.

Enjoy your new ornament.

Have a great day and happy quilting.

 

 

I have finished piecing all 50 of Kimberly Einmo’s 6″ blocks.  One is not quite right and I will have to make it again. The 1 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ flying geese were not accurate.  It’s easier to make the whole block than to take the defective one apart. I can use it another way that won’t show the defect.  Tomorrow or Wednesday I will decide how I want to sash the blocks.   I probably will make a first frame in black and then do something else for a second sashing.  I bought a pattern years ago at Keepsake Quilters.  The quilt on display was so beautiful.  I may use the setting in that pattern.  The quilt at Keepsake was made with batiques.  When I finish the Temperature quilt, I will have lots of batiques left over. I’ll keep them together with the pattern.  Then, when I decide to make it, I will have everything together.

        

I made a file today and listed all the unfinished projects that I have been working on for the last few months.  I included all the new challenge quilts, challenge blocks, long term quilts  and demo pieces that I have agreed to do. I also included the 25 year old UFO.   I read today that there are no UFOs.  They should be called QIPs.  (Quilts in progress).  That way, you are never stress about unfinished quilts hanging around.  It’s unbelievable how many items were listed.   I can remember when I first started quilting, I made one quilt and finished it before I moved on to the next.  I had no stash and no gadgets.  Rotary cutters and rulers weren’t invented.  I drew lines around cardboard templates and sewed by hand.  What a difference from today.

Now that everything is listed, I can include the dates they need to be complete. I can work on the ones that have to be finished first and remove them from the list.

This morning, I was looking for a piece of fabric to use in a block that is due in January.  While looking, I straightened out five drawers of fabric.  There are so many quilts waiting to be made in those drawers, but no more squirrel quilts until my list is at least 3/4 empty.  I’m not even going to think about the leftover quarter square triangles, half square triangles and squares, all cut to 2 1/2″ square, that are leftover from the Squirrel Quilt.  Also the trimmings that are in a baggie for a Gaa-Barge quilt.

Have a great day and happy quilting.